


Never Had The Courage

by armadil_Lo



Series: RvB Song Challenge Meme [5]
Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-18
Updated: 2015-11-18
Packaged: 2018-05-02 05:50:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5236694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/armadil_Lo/pseuds/armadil_Lo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All Frank wants is his best friend by his side.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never Had The Courage

**Author's Note:**

> I kind of cheated a little with this. Technically the rules are that you just put your music on shuffle, no planning, and only have as long as the song to write something.
> 
> But apparently I'm a rebel because I changed it up a little. I let myself listen to a song once and decide on a ship or pairing or situation. Then I'd spend the next time listening to the song thinking more about the lyrics and coming up with a brief outline. And finally, on the third time listening to the song, I would write. But I may have gone over the time limits of the song length. Sometimes a little. Sometimes a lot. You'll be able to tell by the length.
> 
> (Also I skipped past some songs that wouldn't have made sense or that I just didn't feel like writing to whoOPS)

Frank traces the edges of the cool metal with his finger and does anything but hit the green symbol on the screen. He's typed out the number for the tenth time that night but is unable to bring himself to actually make the phone call. This time he's stopped himself from hurriedly deleting the number after it was complete, knowing he'd immediately just type it out again since he knows it off by heart. But he still doesn't hit dial.

God, he just wants to hear Donut's voice. To talk to him and ask how his day was and have his friend lift his mood. He _needs_ to hear that familiar sound after all that has happened today.

But he can't even hit the call button. He's a coward.

Sighing heavily, Frank locks the phone and tosses it to one side, moving to lie down across the couch in his apartment. He removes his glasses and rubs his hands over his face and all he can think is _'I miss him.'_

Because at the end of the summer, Frank and Donut had gone their separate ways. In fact, they now live in entirely different states and it's getting more and more difficult to keep in contact. Neighbouring states, but separate nonetheless. Donut stayed in their hometown to go on to college locally, but Frank had been given a scholarship to a prestigious med school several hours away. And while normally Frank wouldn't have given up his best friend for some snobby, rich-kid institute, the scholarship offered to him had happened to come from the one med school he's been dreaming about since he was in diapers. It is one of the best in the entire country. He'd jumped at the chance with little hesitation, his parents and Donut encouraging and supporting him all the way. So he packed up his belongings and moved into an apartment ten minutes away from his campus but five to six hours from home.

He kind of regrets it now.

He and Donut, or Franklin rather, have known each other since the first day of freshman year at high school. Their names had been one after the other on the register of their first class - _"Franklin Donut"_ followed by _"Frank DuFresne"_ \- and almost every class after that. Needless to say it created some confusion with most of their teachers throughout the day, Frank smiling shyly at the blonde boy across the room each time it happened. After their final class of the day, Franklin had approached and suggested they came up with nicknames for each other so that they didn't get confused either. Donut was fine going by his surname and immediately latched onto the name 'Doc' for Frank when he discovered what the boy wanted to be when he was older. The next day, Donut had walked into their morning class and sat right next to him with a casual "Hey, Doc." And while Frank never lets anyone else call him by that name - (he doesn't even want to be a doctor, he wants to be a _medic_ ) - they've been inseparable ever since.

It was kind of assumed by everyone in their high school that eventually Frank and Donut would get together. Donut was openly gay and Frank rather poorly in the closet. A lot of their friendship is very tactile and affectionate and maybe somewhere along the line Frank started expecting a relationship would blossom too. Started _wanting_ a relationship to blossom.

But it never did.

And now he lives miles away from the one person in his life who wordlessly understands and unconditionally accepts him. The one person in his life who he loves with all his heart and who loves him platonically at the very least in return. And he really, really needs him right now.

Because today has undoubtedly been one of the worst days of his life. 

And it's his birthday, for crying out loud.

It had all started when his alarm went off early in the morning. It was so early that Frank's hand had sluggishly reached out, slapped the first button it found to turn off the sound and he returned to sleep before his arm even made it back under sheets. Of course, it hadn't been the snooze button he'd hit. And when he jerked properly awake hours later, he realised he'd missed his entire morning class. It was supposed to be a seminar giving information and advice about the upcoming test that was worth a large portion of his final grade. He has no friends in that class and nobody would have made notes for him so basically he's now screwed for that test. Upset about that and still somehow quite tired, he'd rushed around to get ready for his afternoon class only to arrive and realise he'd left his glasses behind on his nightstand and couldn't read the whiteboard from his seat. It was at that point that he resigned himself to having a bad day. Halfway through the class, his phone had buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out to squint at the screen. 

_"Donut <3: it looks like i can't make it today, i'm really sorry doc. but happy birthday, i promise i'll try to come see you soon xx"_

Frank's heart had sunk at the message - they'd been looking forward to seeing each other on his birthday ever since the end of summer. Two months of Skype calling just didn't quite equate the real thing. But Donut had been saying for a while now that the plans were a little shaky and it was possible he might not be able to come after all. Before he could even type out a reply and let his friend know that it was okay, a piece of paper was slapped down in front of him. The professor was handing out the grades for the essay the class had been assigned to write last week. Frank had felt really good about his work, but the obnoxious red _C+_ at the top of his paper said otherwise. His first ever C. It was a horrible feeling, like he'd failed. Disappointment settled further in his stomach.

And his day just kept going from bad to worse. Getting ready to go out to his birthday dinner, he'd somehow managed to knock over a glass of Coca Cola onto his favourite purple shirt. He had to immediately throw that in the laundry and took another shower as he'd been sticky from the drink. Then he'd moved around his apartment in despair as he realised that actually most of his clothes also needed to be in the laundry and his shirt options were very low. He had to completely dress down because his casual tee didn't quite match with the fancy black pants as well as they do with a pair of jeans. Not that it really mattered anyway because a total of zero out of the five people he'd invited from college to spend the evening with him at a nice restaurant in the city actually showed up. Sure, they're friendly acquaintances at best, but he didn't expect to sit alone at a table that he'd reserved for six all night. He could practically feel all of the staff pitying him as they brought out a birthday cake when he'd finished his dinner and crowded around to sing him a sympathetic rendition of Happy Birthday.

So when he got home earlier than he'd expected to, he figured he might as well try to contact his parents. Last month he'd been warned by his best friend that his parents had been over at the Donut residence for dinner. Donut had made an offhand comment about his own sexuality and Frank's parents had reacted strangely. So of course Frank Skyped his parents to ask what they were thinking and finally came out to them in a fit of rage after listening to their bigoted comments about his best friend for almost half an hour. They haven't spoken to their own son since then, and they didn't pick up the phone when Frank tried calling them earlier. He was quickly met with the answering machine all three times he attempted to ring them.

Frank can feel a headache coming on just as he thinks about today's events.

He stares at the slightly blurry box that is his phone across the sofa for another long while before putting his glasses back on and grabbing the remote for the television. Some old movie is playing that he's seen a hundred times before and doesn't particularly like, but it'll do for clearing his mind a little. He grabs a cushion and hugs it to his chest as he watches, just focusing on not completely breaking down.

When the movie is drawing to a close, there are three short raps at his door. Frank looks up, eyes a bit red - (the movie has a sad part, he really isn't _that_ upset about how _everything_ that could possibly go wrong on his birthday _absolutely did_ ) - and mutes his television to listen. After about ten seconds, the person knocks again, a little louder and longer this time. It's definitely at his apartment so Frank drags himself up off the couch with a confused frown and opens the door.

Standing before him is the man he's been pining for all day.

"Sorry I'm late, Doc!" Donut apologises as he sweeps past him, carrying multiple grocery bags and a large leather duffel presumably containing clothes. "I planned to get here a bit earlier but there was a whole lot of traffic on the interstate for some reason and I got lost trying to find this place about four times."

Frank just stares after him as Donut easily manoeuvres his way around the apartment like he's right at home. He vaguely remembers their first Skype call consisting of an apartment tour given by holding the laptop and walking around.

When he finally finds his voice he speaks up from his spot still by the doorway. "I thought you couldn't make it."

Donut throws an easy grin over his shoulder as he puts the grocery bags down on the kitchen bench that is open to the living room. "I might have lied. So, surprise! Happy Birthday! And I'm actually staying for a week, which is why I brought food." Donut's tone goes from pleasant to pleasantly scolding. "I know how you are, Mister. Living off of Coca Cola and noodles. You're lucky you have me to cook for you properly now."

Frank can't help but just drink in the view as his best friend launches into a healthy eating rant. His hands are gesturing wildly, a sign that he is excited to be here, and his blue eyes are bright despite having to drive for many hours. Donut's undercut is growing out a little at the sides, less of a short fuzz now. He also hasn't bothered styling the middle part into his signature quiff, so it is flopping to one side and framing his face. Donut mentioned once that he'd started going to the gym, but Frank can see it now. The light muscles starting to form, his biceps a little tighter in that pink polo than they used to be. And that ever-present smile on that face. The smile that Frank can already feel cheering him up.

Something swells up warm and consuming in his chest and before he knows what he is doing, Frank is striding across the room and pulling Donut down by his collar to press their lips together.

Donut makes a surprised noise but starts responding immediately. He reaches up with one hand to push Frank's glasses up into his dark hair and then settles it at the back of his neck and rests the other hand on Frank's waist. Frank's own arms go around Donut's neck and pulls him in closer so their bodies are pressing together. Donut is warm and they fit together perfectly, which he already knew from the amount of times they've hugged or cuddled. But this is different, more intimate as their lips move together languidly. Donut tastes like some hipster Starbucks drink and he smells like that stupid frangipani air freshener he uses in his car but Frank just can't get enough of him.

They pull apart after a few long moments to catch their breath and Frank opens his eyes to see Donut smiling at him. There's something softer in his face now.

"What was that for?" he asks, curious but not complaining. And Frank knows that later on they'll have to discuss how they feel about each other, and if anything can come from this. He knows that, if Donut agrees, they'll have to work out a way to make a long distance relationship work. But that's later, and right now he pulls Donut in for another kiss because it's the best feeling in the world and he can already tell he is becoming addicted to his best friend's lips.

The next time they pause for air, Donut leans his forehead against Frank's and the slightly shorter man finally answers the question.

"For making today the best birthday ever."

**Author's Note:**

> Based off of the song 'Never Had The Courage' by Chase Coy.
> 
> Sorry it's been a while! I'm not sure if I go into the kinda flashbacks too much and I got confused between past and present tense a bit haha. But I still think this turned out alright :)


End file.
